Christmas Gifts
by SilentThunder086
Summary: *Santa Clause 2* Not much is known about Bernard's past, but what happens when a piece of it returns? *Remember - in Chapter 5, things aren't always what they seem!!*
1. Default Chapter

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DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to the Santa Clause movies. I only own Cordelia and her parents. :P The lyrics used in this fanfic belong to their respective artists.

SUMMARY: Not much is known about Bernard's past, but what happens when a piece of it returns?

In our family portrait

We look pretty happy

Let us play pretend

Act like it comes naturally . . .

Shouts, yelling, and the slamming of doors are common sights and sounds around the home of 17-year-old Cordelia Arwyn Williams. Any visitor to the home would believe that the family was happy together, just the three of them - Cordelia and her parents. She would always hear stories about a brother (not when her parents knew she was nearby, of course) and she grew up wondering why she had never met him. Her parents, who were both successful businessmen, wanted what **they** thought was best for their daughter. They didn't know who she was . . . only her friends had some sort if idea.

After another shouting fest between her father and herself, she sat in the dining room. Her parents had gone out for the night; knowing them, they wouldn't be back until the early hours of the morning. She quickly sniffled, her eyes a bloodshot red. Even though she had the ability to make it seem that their almost daily arguments didn't bother her, in reality it tore her up inside. In her hand was a photo which her parents didn't realize was missing - it was taken when she was a baby. In it were her parents, her, and a little boy whom she didn't recognize offhand. Why couldn't things be like they used to? Quickly wiping the last of the tears from her eyes, she went into the kitchen with the intention to make some cocoa - her favorite drink anywhere in the world. The time of the year was perfect also - December 24th, Christmas Eve. Outside a snowfall blanketed the ground and made the world around her seem more peaceful. "If only my life could be like this," she said to no one in particular. As if someone (or something) responded then, a thump startled the teenager. She could hear footsteps coming from a room down the hall . . . the living room. Quickly gripping her cocoa in one hand and a butcher knife in the other, she quietly made her way down and stopped in front of the door. She could hear cheerful humming coming from the other side. 

"Here goes nothing," she said quietly to herself before opening the door. "Hold it right there!"

The older man in the red suit turned around startled. The fearful teenager sighed out of relief that it wasn't an intruder. Yes, this man was indeed a childhood figure which somehow she knew she could trust. "Santa?" 

"Merry Christmas, Cordelia." 

"I'm sorry about that. I could have killed you." 

"I understand," he said as he continued to lay presents out from his bag. 

"Are those for . . .?" 

"Your younger cousins?" he finished. "Yes. Since they will be spending Christmas Day here, their presents are also delivered here." The girl nodded and took a sip of her cocoa. 

"You know what I want for Christmas, Santa?" 

"What is that?" 

"To get as far away from here as I can." He looked up at her in a bit of shock - she was too young to leave home (after all, Charlie had just turned 18 and left for college). 

"Surely you don't mean that . . ." 

"I do. My parents are wanting me to be who they are - businessfolk, attended a boarding school for my education . . . you have no idea the things I'm going through!" 

Scott Calvin indeed had no other response to that. "I don't know if I can do anything about that . . ." Cordelia nodded and took another sip of her cocoa before she had an idea. 

"Take me with you." 

"I don't know if I can do that . . ." 

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun! I'll spend time with the reindeer while you deliver presents, I'll keep you company on the rides in between . . . please, just get me as far away from here as I can." "Well . . ." 

~*~*~

"Oh, thank you! I'll go get some clothes - when we get back up north, you won't even know I'm here!" 

The girl turned smiling and headed out of the room, but not before Santa noticed something about her that was a bit peculiar. *Her ears have a slight point up at the top . . .* He shook it off as an odd feeling and picked up his bag. 

"Meet me up on the roof," he called out when he reached the fireplace. In an instant, he was gone.

~*~*~

A sense of great exhilaration swept through Cordelia's veins as she climbed into the sleigh. Santa gave her a smile and gave the reindeer their signal to go. As they lifted up from the rooftop, the teenage girl gave a whoop of joy - she was finally going to get away from the two people who hated her most of all: her parents. She wasn't sure what exactly she would find at the North Pole, but she'd find out soon enough.

Please R & R!!!


	2. Arrival at the North Pole

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks so much for the reviews! Hope you guys like this chapter as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Get ready to see a bit of Bernard in this chapter - last one was just a little *introduction* to Cordelia. Oh, well - enjoy this one!

After a few more hours of delivering gifts and traveling, the sleigh began to head back up north. When they got closer to the North Pole, Cordelia began to get colder. She grabbed her bag and, one by one put a sweatshirt on here, a long-sleeved t-shirt there until she had practically all her winter clothes on her. She noticed that they had entered the polar ice cap region and turned to Santa.

"So," she said trying to make conversation, "How long is it until we get there?" 

"It's not going to be long," he said with a laugh. "When we do get there, though, I need you to stay in the sleigh. Don't worry about doing anything - there's usually an elf which is in charge of doing so . . ." 

"Doing what?" 

"You'll see," Santa said looking over to her. "You'll see." She looked stuffed with all of the layers of clothing on her . . . of course, she would be shedding mostly everything off when they got into the workshop.

~*~*~

In what seemed like 5 minutes but was more towards the time of a half-hour, he set the sleigh down in the middle of the polar ice cap. They both could hear the calls of polar bears out in the distance. Snow was gently falling into the girl's hair. 

The reindeer pulled their reins from Santa's hands and ran off. The man noticed that his companion had stood up and was getting ready to go after them.

"Remember what I told you?"

She sat down. "Stay in the sleigh? But Santa, the reindeer just ran off!"

"They are going back to their pens." He was silent for a minute before he pointed off to his left. "Look." They could both see what looked like a boy come towards them. He reached his hands into a snow pile and up came a red-and-white candy striped pole. 

  
"Is that the…?"

"North Pole? Yep. We're home."

Just as he said that, they felt a jerk through the sleigh and they began to move down. "What the…?" She leaned her head out of the side and saw that they were heading down into a large gathering place. The people that were down there had begun to move out of the way as if they knew where the ice patch would land. They came down and she saw the reindeer pens circling the area. There were dozens . . . upon dozens . . . upon dozens of children doing different necessary works. *Children?* she thought to herself as the ice circle landed on the floor. *Where are all the adults?* "Um . . . Santa?" 

He looked up to her as he was climbing out of the sleigh. "Where are all the adults? They're elves, Cordelia." He chuckled to himself as he hopped down off of the platform. 

The girl looked around in bewilderment . . . so elves *were* real! She smiled as a feeling of happiness washed over her. *I'm here . . . I can't believe it - I'm here . . . is it getting hot in here or is it just me?* She began to pull off the many layers she had on until she was down to a sweatshirt, t-shirt, and jeans. 

As she pushed everything down into her bag again, she heard Santa call her name. "Are you hungry?" 

"Yeah," she said. "I haven't eaten since lunch."

"Abby'll take you to get something to eat," he said. "After that, she'll show you to your room and get you settled. We'll get you into a department so you can have a job . . . that'll all be discussed later. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask any of the elves." With that, he left.

"Cordelia?" She turned around to see a girl, 12 years old at the most standing behind her. 

"Abby?" 

"I'm Santa's naughty-n-nice elf, in charge of the list. He wants me to take you to get some dinner. Is there anything in particular you want? The kitchen's always open . . ."

"I don't care," she said with a shrug. "I just want some cocoa. Any food'll be fine by me."

"Wonderful," the elf said with a smile. "Follow me." 

The two walked through the room towards a hallway that began on the other side. Cordelia looked and saw that Santa was talking to one of his elves. At first his good looks caught her eye but then she noticed a pin that was on his beret. Her walk slowed to a stop and she reached down into her pocket, pulling out one that was a duplicate of the elf's beret pin. 

"Cordelia?" Abby had turned around when she noticed that the newcomer hadn't been following. 

"Who's that talking to Santa?"

"Oh, that's Bernard. He's the head elf around here, second only to Santa." She poked her head around her and saw that indeed, he was busy. "I'll introduce you later - I think he and Santa are discussing some sort of issue." The new girl nodded and the pair continued their journey. When Cordelia was able to, she kept her eyes on him. Right before they turned the corner, she noticed that he was aware of her existence. Even though she wanted to go over and talk to him, she kept on her course for the cafeteria.


	3. Dinner and Introductions

"I'm sorry if the chairs and tables are a little small for you . . . you need to understand that they're specially made for us." 

Abby and Cordelia found a table and sat down with some food. The cafeteria was much like the workshop - a lot of color. The tables were lined with smaller-than-normal chairs and 10 rows of tables spanned the room. The food line started near the doorway. Many of the elves were still at their posts and doing their assigned duties, which resulted in the duo being a few of the only ones in the room.

"Its all right," Cordelia said. "I'll need to get used to it." 

When they both began to eat, Abby looked up to her new friend. "I know you haven't been here that long, but are you beginning to feel at home?" 

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "I am. Don't worry - everything's fine."

"That's good." The girls looked up when they heard a new voice join the conversation. 

"Bernard!" The Head Elf grabbed a chair and sat down next to Abby.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Bernard, the Arch-Elf. You're . . . Clarissa?" 

"Close - Cordelia. Cordelia Williams." He extended his hand and she did the same. "Its nice to meet you." 

"Same here." He smiled as he put his hand down. "Hey, I'm on dinner break right now - do you guys mind if I eat with you?" Both shook their heads 'no' and the elf got up, heading for the food line.

~*~*~

"So Cordelia, what are you into?"

"I'm into figure skating and gymnastics. I've done both ever since I was a little girl." 

"That's awesome," Abby said with a grin. "I've always wanted to see figure skaters in action - I had heard about them from a couple of the elves. They say its fun." 

"Its also a lot of work. I'll show you someday, though." The female elf smiled. 

"What do you want to do around here?" Bernard asked. "I can get you into any department you want. There's wrapping, research and development, general building . . . I think you might want to stay out of the chem lab for awhile, though - until you get used to everything around here."

"You guys have a chem lab?"

"Chemistry lab. It's where we put together all the chemistry sets that kids ask for. There are mounds of chemicals that we have to dilute before shipping. I'd feel better if you stayed out of there for awhile." 

"Why? You afraid that something'll happen with me in there?" 

"Actually, yes. You're a nice girl," he said with a smile. "I'd hate to see anything happen to my friends," he continued while ruffling Abby's hair. Cordelia smiled at the compliment.

Bernard and Abby went off into a discussion about Santa and some sort of issue with him . . . she didn't hear what they were discussing exactly. Her eyes moved up to the pin once again. It was bothering her that she didn't know the meaning behind it. She had one exactly like it and she didn't know what it stood for. 

"Oh, geez," Bernard suddenly said. "I've gotta run . . . the elves in Shipping need me. I'll see you two around. It was nice meeting you, Cordelia." 

"Hey, Bernard."

The elf turned around as he was heading towards the door. "Yeah?"

"Where did you get that pin on your beret?"

"That old thing? It's been in my family for generations. I'll talk to you later, Cordelia!"

With that, he ran off. 

"Don't worry," Abby said as she watched him leave. "He's called off like that all the time. Its nothing big." Her friend looked over to her and smiled. "So . . . shall I show you around the workshop now?"

~*~*~

Later on that night, Santa realized that the newcomer was missing a few things. "Hey, Bernard," he said to the Arch-Elf who was standing near him. 

"Yea, Santa?" 

"Do you know where Cordelia Williams is quartered?"

"Yea . . ."

"Great," he said picking up the bag. "Will you deliver these to her room for me? I've got to meet with Curtis and the elves in Wrapping for next-year's plans." 

"Sure." Always eager to do Santa's bidding, he received the bag from him and began to make his way down the halls, through the Medical elves' quarters. He came upon the Research & Development elves' quarters and found her room, which was the first one on the right.

Cordelia opened the door and smiled when she saw Bernard standing there. "Hey," she said. "What's up?"

"Santa wanted me to deliver these to you. Said you'll need them."

"Thanks," she said taking the bag. Peeking inside, she saw her clothes and everything else she brought. "Bernard, real quick. Is your pin on your beret a one-of-a-kind, or are there more like it?" 

"Why are you so interested in this thing?" he asked taking it down off of his head. 

"Just curious . . ."

"The pattern is specific to my family - only members of my family have one."

"Ok," she said with a smile. "Thanks." 

"No problem. I'd better get to that meeting with Santa . . . see if he needs anything. I'll see you around." 

"See ya."

She shut the door behind her, going back into her room. It was a moderate size - not like Santa's with a Punch and Judy stage, train set, other toys, and a big bed, but it had everything she would need (a desk, bed, private bathroom, etc). The floor was a hardwood and the walls were painted a pretty scarlet color. 

She reached into the bag and took out the picture of her family - Mom, Dad, herself, and her brother. She set it down on the desk and turned around, beginning to take out her clothes. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she stopped and took her pin out of her pocket. Turning back around, she gazed at the picture while Bernard's words echoed through her mind. 

__

"The pattern is specific to my family - only members of my family have one."

A simple realization came through her mind. *Could it be true? My brother - the one whom my parents have been talking about?*

Indeed it was so - Bernard, the Arch-Elf was her brother.

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So . . . inspiration was alive in my mind all day today - lol! I've got big plans for this story. Anyway, please R & R - I live for reviews!


	4. Settling In

The wake-up call was bright and early that next morning. Cordelia was sleeping soundly, dreaming about her old life in New York, when the lights suddenly came on. "What the . . .?" She reached over and flipped the lamp out but almost immediately it flipped itself back on. "Ugh . . ." Throwing her pillow over her head, she tried to go back to sleep - if it weren't for the bath which automatically started to draw itself in the bathroom. "I'm up . . . I'm up . . ." She pulled herself out of the bed and began to head over to the bathroom. She looked back to the light which was still on. "You can turn off anytime…" As if that was a cue the light flipped itself off. She threw up her hands in exasperation and went ahead into the bathroom to begin her day.

~*~*~

The cafeteria was bustling with activity as breakfast was underway. Cordelia trudged in, got her food, and found Bernard and Abby sitting together with another elf - a girl named Judy.

"Hey, guys," she said as she sat down next to her.

"Hey," Abby said. "You still look kinda tired."

"When the light comes on automatically at 5:30 in the morning and then a bath automatically starts to draw itself about 15 minutes later, I'd say that I am kind of tired." That comment drew a laugh from Bernard.

"Looks like Quentin's designs never went with him when he moved out of the room." 

"Quentin?"

"He's the second-in-command of 'Research & Development.' Your rooms were his old rooms before he got his job. He moved out into some better rooms and it seems that he never took his 'alarms' with him."

"I see . . ." She sighed - she didn't really want her breakfast . . . all she wanted was to go back to sleep.

"Are you definitely going to want to join the R & D team?"

"Hm?" Cordelia looked back up to Bernard and he repeated what he said. "Oh, yeah. I figure that I can be of best help there." 

"Good," he said. "Research and Development is one of the departments I work closely with. I'll take you over to their building and introduce you around after breakfast."

She nodded and turned back to her food.

~*~*~

Impatience caught up with Bernard quickly. He began to tap his foot to try and keep him calmer, but that rapidly got old. All around him, elves were hustling and bustling to get their jobs done. All of a sudden, she appeared at his side.

"You ready?" Cordelia zipped up her jacket and turned to Bernard. They were both standing in the main area of the workshop, getting ready to go over to the Research and Development HQ. 

"Yeah," she said. "Let's head out."

He opened the door, let her pass, and caught up with her when she stood aside with the intention of waiting for him. "You know," he said as they began walking. "This department used to be in this building." 

"Why did they move?"

"The department got too big. The Chem Lab is where the old R & D used to be. When it got too big, we managed to find a building down the street to purchase for them. They moved there, oh, about three months ago." She nodded, understanding the basic history of her new department. The two walked in silence for a few minutes.

"Bernard?" Cordelia asked as she turned to her companion.

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind if I ask you something personal?"

"Just as long as it isn't too personal."

"Do you have any family?"

This took the head elf aback. Many of the elves at the North Pole just knew him as Bernard. Now that he thought about it, he didn't even know his last name. Everyone during the 1000 years that he had worked at the workshop just called him 'Bernard.' No last name.

"Its obvious that I, at one time, had a mother and father. You see," he began as they were walking down the street along the main edge of the Town Square, "my parents left when I was 200. My father had gotten me a job in Wrapping and he left Elfsburg soon after."

"What about your mother?"

"I don't remember her. I don't remember if she died when I was a little baby or if she went with my father when he left."

"Do you know where he went?" 

"No. Last I heard he was in Montreal in Canada but, then again, that was about 300 years ago. Why are you asking me all these questions?"

She sighed. Reaching in her pocket, she took out the pin. Bernard's eyes grew wider as he took it from her hand. 

  
"Where did you get this?!?"

"My mom and dad gave it to me. They said it was a family heirloom. Bernard, do you remember what your father looked like?" 

"He was just about as tall as me. He had brown eyes and . . ."

" . . . black hair." They finished on the same phrase. 

"His name is Michael Williams. I don't know if that's his real name, but then again he didn't tell me anything about my heritage."

They walked in silence before Bernard sighed, taking off his beret and comparing the pins. "As far as I can see, the design is the same. A part of me believes you, but I'm still not sure you're telling the truth." When he saw that she looked slightly offended, he put his arms up in his defense. "For all I know, you could be my sister. You could also be someone up here . . . but for what?" He looked up and, before she had the chance to answer he motioned her towards a door. "In there."

~*~*~

The pair walked in and saw two boys standing in the main room of the R & D headquarters. "Curtis. Quentin," Bernard said greeting them with a nod. "Hello, Bernard," Quentin said acknowledging his greeting. "You must be Cordelia. I'm Quentin and this is Curtis, who's in charge of Research and Development. Are you ready to begin with us?" 

"Yep," she said before turning to Bernard. "I'll see you later?" 

"Yeah," he said with a smile. "See you later." He watched the girl go off with Curtis and Quentin to get settled into her new job and, when they were gone, he took out her pin. It *was* the design which was specifically designated to his family . . . but was it really hers or did she get it somehow from one of his family members?

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Please R & R!!! No flames, please - nothing too bad will happen in this story, but be prepared for some intense events to take place in the future chapters (there was a *lot* of foreshadowing over the last couple of chapters . . . you'll see). Just a warning - next chapter will be up ASAP. Until then, enjoy!


	5. Trouble in the Chem Lab

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DISCLAIMER: See chapter 1 (I'm just putting this in every few chapters as a reminder that I only own Cordelia and her parents…nothing related to the Santa Clause movies).

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A/N: This chapter may be a bit confusing, since it'll jump from location to location, and back to a different location. It'll be mentioned before the switch where the next part will be.

Over the next few weeks, Cordelia got gradually settled into her new life. It seemed that she was, all along, one of the elves. She learned the ropes around the Research and Development department with ease which impressed Curtis, Quentin, and Bernard.

"So . . . are you sure that she's your sister, Bernard?"

The Head Elf turned to his #2 elf and shrugged. "I don't know, Curtis. She's got proof that she is a member of my family, but there is also the possibility that she could have bought it on . . . what's that enternet site called?" 

"Its internet, Bernard. I think the site you're referring to is . . . Ebay?" Quentin said.

"Close enough. Ebay . . . that's it . . . anyway, they sell everything on there. She could have seen it on there, liked it, and bought it."

"But how would she know it belonged to you?"

"Curtis, I wear the pin on my beret," he said pointing to it. "She probably saw it when she arrived."

"I think there is some sort of connection between you two," Quentin spoke up. "What the connection is isn't realized yet." The two elves in charge looked at each other. Bernard realized that Quentin was right. There were many similarities between him and Cordelia - not only in appearance, but also in their mannerisms.

~*~ Meanwhile, in the Chemistry Lab ~*~

Glassware was clinking together and several elves were working away as they were busy preparing next year's at-home chemistry sets. The mounds of chemicals which needed to be diluted were piled at the edge of the room. Of course, they were kept in special containers in an attempt to keep them from mixing.

Adam, one of the few elves who regularly worked in the Chem Lab, was just about done making another set when he realized that he had omitted one of the chemicals. He walked over to its bin and took a sample, preparing to water it down. As he was shutting the little faucet and preparing to go dilute it, his ears picked up on a 'drip . . . drip . . . drip . . .' coming from the direction of one of the more potent chemicals (of course, only used in gifts for Chemistry teachers). 

He didn't bother going to investigate, knowing that it was out of his league. He found the overseer, Isidore, and quickly brought him over. He bent down to see it and looked back up to the elf. "Go find Bernard. Tell him he's needed in here immediately." Adam nodded and quickly left the lab. Isidore looked down and saw that it had been leaking for awhile. *We need to petition Santa for better bins . . .*

~*~ Meanwhile, at the pond on the edge of Elfsburg ~*~

"So . . . how well do you two ice-skate?"

Abby and Judy looked to each other and smiled. "We're pretty good," Judy said with a smile. "After all, we've been doing it for about 1,100 years." 

"Right," Cordelia said turning towards the pond. "I forgot about that." She skated onto the pond and geared up for a triple-axle. Successfully pulling it off, she smiled. "You won't need to do that for awhile. Let's begin by teaching you the basics." The two skated out onto the pond to begin their figure-skating lesson. 

~*~ Back to the Chemistry Lab ~*~

"What's the problem, Isidore?" Bernard quickly slid on safety goggles and rubber gloves as he headed over to the leak. The overseer pointed it out and immediately the next words out of the Head Elf's mouth were, "You stay. Get everyone else out." 

"Yes, sir," he said. About 5 minutes later, the only people in the room were Bernard and Isidore.

"There's nothing I can do right now," Bernard said after looking at it. "Is there anything you can use to contain the chemical that's already spilled?" 

"I can try and find something." 

"Good, because if I'm remembering right then these two chemicals are explosive if combined. I'll tell Santa we need new bins, though I doubt he'll put up a fuss about it." Bernard stood up and began to head back to the door, failing to notice the crack beginning to form from pressure on the other bin. He failed to reach the door before the bin split, spilling out the other chemical.  


~*~ Back to the pond ~*~

As the ground shook with a rumble, the three girls fell onto the ice. "Are you okay?" Judy looked around as the other two girls were picking themselves up.

"What was that?"

"I don't know, Cordelia," Abby said as she picked herself up. They looked up towards the town and could see a plume of smoke rising into the air. 

"Don't worry," Judy said. "Our town fire squad will take care of it."

"Are you sure they won't need our help?" 

"They'll be fine," she said back. "Come on, let's get back to our lesson . . ."

~*~*~

Curtis stood on the hill about 10 minutes later, overlooking the pond. He could see the three girls skating there, having fun. Their fun would end quickly, though - especially Cordelia, if she was who he thought she was. After all, Bernard and Isidore were involved in a fatal accident at the Chem Lab . . . 

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Don't you just love cliffhangers? J TBC, but please review!!! Merry Christmas to all!


	6. Bernardis he okay?

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You actually thought I was going to kill off Bernard?!? *tsk**tsk* Let's get on to the chapter, shall we? The song at the end of the chapter belongs to Avril Lavigne.

~*~*~

"Cordelia."

The girls stopped skating as Curtis approached the edge of the pond. The taller girl skated over, stopping on the edge. "Yes, Curtis?"

The elf sighed. There would be plenty of difficulty in relaying the distressing news to her - she was a wonderful girl who was a great asset to the Research and Development department. He took a deep breath and began . . .

"There was an accident at the Chemistry Lab. Bernard was there when it happened."

~*~*~

Cordelia's heart stopped when Curtis told her that her brother had been in an accident. "Is he okay? What's happened? Was it that explosion?"

"Bernard was moved to the Intensive Care Unit of the Medical Wing. If he makes it through the night, he will be all right. He was really lucky - one of the elves in the Chem Lab was able to pull him out. Isidore the overseer, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky . . ."

~FLASHBACK~

__

The Head Elf could feel the heat in the room burning his skin - and he knew that the flames were going to draw ever closer. The smoke was thick and choking. This was it - Santa would need to find a new Head Elf. 

*Bernard!*

He could hear his name being called faintly over the roar of the flames. Figuring it to be just his imagination, he brushed it off. The only way that he knew he wasn't imagining things was the event of his wrist being gripped. His body slid across the floor and out of the door (after he was bumped against the door frame). His savior was Adam, one of the younger elves who worked in the Chemistry Lab. He, along with a couple of his friends, pulled him to safety.

Bernard could already see the Elf Fire Squad rushing towards the flame-engulfed room. He knew that they responded quickly to any and all fire calls, but it seemed like it had *just* happened.

*Get him moved to ICU for observation. If he gets through the night, he's going to be all right.*

The last person he remembered seeing was Curtis, looking onto him as he was being carried away to the Intensive Care Unit of the Medical Unit.

~END FLASHBACK~

" . . . Isidore was too close to the chemicals and died almost instantly."

The figure skater was speechless with relief. "My brother is all right?" 

"He's under observation in the ICU. If he pulls through the night without any problems then he will be all right."

"Can you take me to him?" 

"You'll want to get out of those skates, but I'll try to get you in."

Not wasting a split second, Cordelia launched herself up onto the snow and headed over to her things. Abby and Judy, who had also heard the same conversation followed their friend's actions. They all had their skates quickly off and were hurrying up to the workshop which, from there, they could get to the Medical Wing of Santa's Workshop. 

~*~*~

Curtis, Abby, Cordelia, and Judy got into Bernard's medical room without any trouble. Inside they saw how bad the fire had hurt him. Yes, he had chemical burns and his clothes were slightly charred (not to mention his skin was blackened a bit) but aside from that the outside injuries didn't look too bad.

"He was lucky," his sister heard Curtis say to the two female elves. "Adam went back in to get him."

Judy looked over to Bernard and up to Cordelia. "I'm going to go get us some cocoa," she said. "I think we all can use a cup right now." With that, she left the room and returned a few minutes later with four large, hot, delicious cups of cocoa. After she distributed them, Abby looked to the other two elves.

"Come on," she said. "I think we'd better go take a walk." 

Judy caught onto what she was trying to say. "Why?" Curtis asked. The girls looked over towards Cordelia and motioned their heads in the direction of the door. He nodded when he finally understood what was going on. 

"Take as long as you need, Cordelia," Curtis said before he left with Abby and Judy.

As the door shut behind them, she could hear the beeps of the machines monitoring her unconscious brother's vital signs. _Take as long as you need._ Yes, she would do just that . . . she wouldn't leave his side until he awoke.

__

It's a damn cold night

Trying to figure out this life

Won't you take me by the hand

Take me somewhere new

I don't know who you are but I

I'm with you . . .


	7. Unexpected Visitors

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This chapter was written listening to Holst's suite "The Planets." Its a really good CD . . . great for mood settings. LOL - here's your next chapter, Piper!

The early morning rays of sunshine poked their way through the window and began to fill the hospital wing room with light. They washed over Cordelia, who had fallen asleep right next to the window. It seemed that nothing could disturb her - the light hadn't awakened her, the sounds of an Elfsburg morning hadn't disrupted her slumber, and the gong of the workshop clock hadn't roused her. 

Mrs. Claus opened the door as quietly as she could with the intent not to disturb her. She had gathered a few things from Bernard's room and wanted to move them to the Head Elf's temporary room . . . a great change for the elves of the North Pole. She opened the bag as she approached his bed table, stepping over the Head Elf's sister. She set out the book which he had been reading on his downtime (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - _"Its very fascinating that there are other elves out there. In this place called Middle Earth . . . now I know that we aren't the only group of elves in the world"_). She also took out a few trinkets and set out a picture. 

Closing up the bag, she began to move back towards the door - that is, until she spotted the empty cocoa cup on the other side of Cordelia. Leaning over, she grasped it by the handle. In the process, however, the girl began to stir.

"Good morning," she said straightening back up.

"Mrs. Claus," the girl said in a slightly shocked tone. After all, she wasn't expecting the head guy's wife in the same room. "Where am I?" 

The older woman smiled. "Bernard's room."

The younger girl skipped a beat. "How is he?"

"He's made it through the night. No problems. He's going to be all right." 

All right? No problems? As Mrs. Clause left the room with the cocoa cup, it sunk in. Bernard was going to be all right! Jovially she got to her feet and went over to her brother's side. Of course he was still unconscious, but then again he'd be awake soon. Her eyes moved over to the bed table . . . heart stopping when she saw the picture. It was of her mom, dad, brother, and her.

__

~*~*~

In our family portrait

We look pretty happy 

__

We look pretty normal

Let's go back to that . . .

~*~*~

About mid-way through Bernard's copy of "Lord of the Rings," she heard a cough come from the bed. Her eyes quickly looked up from the book and gazed over there. "Where am I . . .?" 

Not remembering their purpose for being there, Cordelia immediately set down the book and flew over to her brother's bedside. "BERNARD!!!" She threw her arms around him, immediately getting painful cries back. She let go, apologized sheepishly, and stood up.

"How long have I been here?"

"A couple of days now. I've been here since I could."

This statement shocked the Head Elf. He had barely known her, yet she still felt an obligation to watch over him. "Why? You didn't have to . . ."

She smiled. "Bernard," she said. "Families stick together, don't they?"

He didn't say anything - he just smiled.

~*~MEANWHILE, IN ANOTHER PART OF THE WORLD…~*~

"We've looked everywhere, Michael. Where else would she be?"

There was a moment of silence as this question was pondered. "Do you think…?"

"She doesn't know of her heritage. Why would she be there?"

"It wouldn't hurt to try…"

~*~NORTH POLE, A FEW WEEKS LATER~*~

Bernard was recuperating quite nicely and, in the short period of time since the accident was able to walk again with a slight limp. Cordelia stayed alongside him throughout that entire time. This resulted in a close bond forming between brother and sister, obviously.

One day both siblings were on their way to lunch, completely unaware of the commotion going on down the hall. That is, until Cordelia heard a voice which she never thought she'd hear again.

"CORDELIA!!!" She cringed and turned around . . .

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Well I must say … I love cliffhangers! LOL … don't worry, next chapter will be up as soon as its completed. Oh, just thought I'd like to mention that we're drawing near the end of this story … I'm completely up for doing a sequel after this! Any ideas? Well, please R & R!!!


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